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Last updated 11 April 1998
A Bridge of BeautyThe reconstruction of Guildford Road BridgeThe new Guildford Road Bridge at Frimley opened in April 1997 ending seven years of controversy over its design on which the Society has been a major influence.
The old bridge
had a 3-tonne weight limit and restricted
width. It lost its brick arch when the Army replaced it
with steel joists in the early 1990. A sewer pipe defaced
the southern aspect of the bridge and it was overhung by
self-seeded sycamore trees. A new bridge presented an
opportunity to recreate it as a feature at an attractive
point on the canal where rowing regattas were once held.
Initial design concepts
for a replacement bridge, including
a dual carriageway, were for a modern, utilitarian structure
to take vehicles up to 40 tonnes. But the local community
objected vehemently to Surrey County Council's (SCC) design
proposals which were considered to be out of keeping in a
conservation area. The Canal Society also objected, wanting the
replacement bridge to reflect the canal's heritage. Finally,
The load bearing arch is constructed of reinforced concrete, faced with Ockley bricks. Sarsen stone and hand-made capping bricks surmounting the parapets replicate John Pinkerton's original design built 200 years ago. The engineers even used the principle of Pinkerton's 100ft line to recreate the identical vertical and horizontal ellipses which, apart from being visually pleasing, help give the bridge strength. When the old bridge was demolished the Sarsen stones, last quarried locally 150 years ago, were numbered and stored so that they could be replaced in the same position. Along with Mytchett Place Bridge, this is the only other one on the canal incorporating Sarsen stone which the local landowner insisted upon when the canal was cut. Additional stone was needed for the abutments and by good fortune sufficient material was discovered beneath the old bridge when it was demolished. Four key stones were laid at each corner of the arch, and then courses of Sarsen stone, using a traditional mortar mix of lime and water, downwards to the base of the bridge, before building upwards. The finished bridge is a credit to SCC's engineers in designing a structure which meets today's traffic demands while retaining an image of the past, and to the construction contractor Coffey's craftsmen who took pride in creating what is now one of the most attractive points along the canal. The result is also a satisfying outcome for Stan Meller, the Society's Special Projects Manager, who put in a great deal of time and effort to achieve a bridge of beauty. (based on an article by Dieter Jebens in BC News 175, Summer 1997)
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civil engineer Adrian Saines, formerly with SCC, came up with a
structure combining modern technology with a traditional design.